It was almost an afterthought but fetched spectacular results. Last night the Indian team watched highlights of the match at Lord's in 1983, ahead of their quarter-final clash today with the heirs to Lloyd and Richards.They left the room with one question in their minds: who would play the role of the man with the red handkerchief in his pocket? The answer today was unambiguous: Gaurav Dhiman didn't just play Amarnath's part but also doubled as Srikkanth, his 56-ball 74 helping India score 284 and his 3/27 consigning the West Indies to a 126-run defeat.The extent of the win becomes clearer when one considers the losing side's score of 158 all out in 38.5 overs. India were 209/1 at one stage and the total runs scored by their openers_Dhiman and Cheteswar Pujara (97)_was 13 more than the West Indians combined score.Windies manager Jimmy Adams summed up Dhiman's role and his own team's helplessness. ``Today we ran into an innings by a young man that I have no words to describe. He just took the game away from us, he will go a long way.''Dhiman, when told of this and his 12 fours and 3 sixes, was remarkably unfazed. ``Honestly, that's how I play'', he said. ``I have played many such knocks.'' He sought to play down his knock further: ``I knew their seamers were erratic but even the spinners weren't disciplined.''Well, they paid for it; offie Sunil Naraine, West Indies' most impressive spinner in the tournament, was welcomed with a six over extra off his very first ball.The confidence that Dhiman showed ran through the team and was visible even after the match when the teenagers were lounging round the hotel porch waiting for their evening pool session. Word of the crushing victory had spread as players and officials of other teams, returning to the hotel from their matches, stopped for a handshake and a word of congratulations.Amid all this, coach Venkatesh Prasad opted to be in background. ``Not me today. I will give you three guys today and all are heroes. Dhiman, Pujara and Yomahesh (4/25).''The last two each missed a personal mark, a century and a five-for. That, they say, didn't bother them; they're just happy to be here and in the World Cup semis.Ask captain Ravikant Shukla if facing England in the semis is a problem since they had lost a warm up game against them. He points to a boisterous bunch in blue that cracks up at yet another Dhiman joke. ``They are ready for any challenge now''.Pujara tipped for TestsCOLOMBO: If Gaurav Dhiman is this World Cup's Mister Congeniality with his gregarious nature and on-field brilliance, the experts are raving about the technique of his opening partner Cheteshwar Pujara. He's currently the highest run-scorer in this tournament, his 220 at an unreal average of 110. But it's not just about the runs. Today, when Dhiman departed after 13 overs and the score at 110, Pujara dropped anchor till the 48th over to help the team reach 284 as wickets fell at regular interval. ``He's certainly Test material, he has a great eye and can play all round the pitch'', says Namibia coach Andy Waller. Not quite the six-hitting opener, Pujara's shots hug the turf. ``Since I was eight my father, who was my first coach, always encouraged me to play ground strokes,'' he says.
